The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 138 No one knows a father better than his son

Fang Xichen led Shang Yibo and Zhou Yanruo to the study on the second floor, gently pressed the doorknob, pushed open the door, and entered the room, saying, "Old Chu, Yibo and the others are here."

"Yes, let them in." Chu Fanqing's steady and powerful voice came from inside the study.

Shang Yibo stood outside the door, his steps faltering slightly, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Chu Fanqing's study, a place he hadn't set foot in for two years, held the unforgettable memory of that night when he learned about his true identity. After that night, everything changed.

Zhou Yanruo noticed Shang Yibo's hesitation and gently reminded him, "Chairman Chu wants us to go in."

At this moment, Fang Xichen had already come out of the study. Seeing the scene at the door, he said calmly, "You two go in quickly."

Shang Yibo and Zhou Yanruo then entered the study. The room was brightly lit, and although the space was not spacious, it appeared exceptionally bright under the light.

Chu Fanqing stood up from behind the large desk, walked around it, sat down on the sofa, and invited the two of them, "Come on, sit down."

Zhou Yanruo respectfully greeted, "Chairman Chu."

Chu Fanqing nodded slightly and pointed to the single sofa opposite her. "Sit down. It's a day off, and I still invited you here. Thank you for your hard work."

Zhou Yanruo quickly shook her head, "It's no trouble at all, Chairman Chu. I will be joining the crew with Shang Yibo next week, and I was planning to discuss your work arrangements with you anyway."

Shang Yibo sat down on the single sofa next to Zhou Yanruo, turned his gaze to Chu Fanqing, and asked, "Dad, why did you call me back so urgently? Is there something important?"

Chu Fanqing stared directly at Shang Yibo's bald head, frowned, and instead of answering directly, asked, "Were you with Hong Yun today?"

Shang Yibo explained, "I had lunch at a friend's house. She came over to have lunch with me. What's up?"

Chu Fanqing slowly said, "You and Hong Yun have known each other since childhood. What are your thoughts on her? Do you have any feelings for her?"

Shang Yibo frowned, his eyes clearly showing displeasure: "You were in such a hurry to call me back, just to help me play matchmaker?"

Chu Fanqing's face darkened: "Yibo, how have I been teaching you? Where did you learn to speak like that, so sarcastic and insincere?"

Seeing the tense atmosphere between the father and son, Zhou Yanruo felt uneasy. She felt it was inappropriate to interrupt, but sitting and listening was also unpleasant. From their conversation, Zhou Yanruo realized that the emergency recall of Shang Yibo was actually to arrange a marriage between him and Hong Yun, which surprised and puzzled her. Perhaps this was how arranged marriages in wealthy families were conducted; it felt like watching a period drama from the Republican era.

Shang Yibo said, "Dad, I believe you invited Zhou Yanruo to our home because you wanted to say more than just this. Please speak your mind."

No one knows a father better than his son. Shang Yibo was just saying that in anger. How could he not know Chu Fanqing's style of doing things? He always lays the groundwork before getting to the point.

After a brief hesitation, Chu Fanqing said, "Recently, the group's project in Bangkok is introducing new investors, and one of the companies we are currently in deep contact with is Hongliang Group..."

Shang Yibo coldly interrupted Chu Fanqing, "I've become part of the deal again. What's my valuation this time? Oh, by the way, you just mentioned Hong Yun. So, to what extent do you want me to cooperate? Blind dates, dating, or marriage?"

Chu Fanqing said, "Are you saying that I'm using you?"

Shang Yibo quickly replied, "Isn't that right?"

Chu Fanqing recalled Fang Xichen's constant reminders since the afternoon, "Don't be so clumsy and try to put on your father's dignity. If you don't speak clearly, you'll cause misunderstandings."

So he said loudly and decisively, "Of course not."

Shang Yibo pressed further, "What is that?"

Chu Fanqing's reaction was somewhat unexpected for Shang Yibo. Knowing his father's temperament, he should have just snorted and stormed off.

Seeing the tense atmosphere between the father and son, Zhou Yanruo couldn't help but interject, "Chairman Chu must have something to tell us when we came to his home. Shang Yibo, let Chairman Chu finish speaking first."

Shang Yibo lowered his head and remained silent.

Chu Fanqing continued, "Yan Ruo hasn't been spending much time at the company lately, but she still receives the weekly reports. If she reads them carefully, she'll definitely discover the problems the company is currently facing."

When Zhou Yanruo saw that Chu Fanqing was talking to her, she quickly replied, "Yes, Chairman Chu, I received the weekly report and was planning to go to the group on Monday to find out more about the situation from my colleagues in the investment department."

She paused for a moment, then said, "However, Chairman Chu, I've read the weekly reports for three weeks in a row, and there are some data points I don't understand. I was originally planning to ask the investment department about it on Monday before reporting back to you. Since you've brought it up, may I ask you directly?"

Chu Fanqing said, "Tell me, what problem did you see?"

Zhou Yanruo said in a surprised tone, "The data from the past few weeks seems to have been embellished. I know that the operating conditions of the group's various companies, except for the hotel's cash flow which is still relatively normal, have been declining since the beginning of the year. To be precise, some companies have been experiencing a continuous decline in business scale since last year, and some companies have even had serious cash flow problems. There is no reason for them to suddenly improve recently."

Zhou Yanruo was a smart woman. Even though she had determined that the recent weekly report data was falsified, since it wasn't yet time for the monthly financial statements, she was unsure why the business department would produce such obviously false data. When reporting to the chairman, she held back in both her tone and the content of her report.

Hearing them start talking about work, Shang Yibo looked up at Chu Fanqing and asked, "Do you need me here to discuss business?"

Chu Fanqing gestured downwards with his hand and said, "Wait a minute, we'll be talking about you soon."

He then continued the conversation with Zhou Yanruo, saying, "Yanruo, your judgment is accurate. The weekly operating report is an internal report of the group, mainly a management tool for management to keep abreast of the operational situation. I arranged for the investment and operations department to make some adjustments to the data. The group is currently facing significant problems, and at this time, internal personnel cannot afford any more mistakes."

Shang Yibo said softly, "Isn't this just deceiving ourselves, only reporting good news and not bad?"

Zhou Yanruo understood that Chu Fanqing had been conservative in his words in front of them, especially in front of his son.

She couldn't help but answer on his behalf: "It's to stabilize morale. There are many veteran management cadres in the group's management team. Back then, the old chairman took into account the hardships these key personnel had endured when the company was being built, so he allocated shares to them."

After Zhou Yanruo finished speaking, she glanced at Chu Fanqing's expression and explained, "Chairman Chu, when I first joined the group, in order to quickly familiarize myself with and understand the group, I specifically looked up the development history of Rushang Group. So I know some things about the past, and my understanding may be a bit one-sided. Please don't take offense."